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Yeast infections are common in babies or small children, but that type of yeast infection is an oral yeast infection also known as thrush. It's not often that children have chronic yeast infections, but it can happen if a child encounters toys, bottles, pacifiers or other objects which have been infected by their own previous oral yeast infection, or that of another child's.

In adults however, chronic yeast infections can often be a sign that something else is wrong in the body. Yeast infections are able to take hold when the body's natural immunity is low. Since yeast infection causing bacteria live in our body, the potential for a yeast infection is always there. But we also have a number of "good" bacteria that live in our bodies too, and in a healthy person this good bacteria is usually able to keep the yeast infecting bacteria supressed.

When an adult has other health problems though, such as a severe illness or a diseases which weakens the immune system, they are more susceptible to having chronic yeast infections. The HIV virus and diabetes are two types of diseases that cause weakened immune systems, and people who suffer from these often find themselves having frequent recurring yeast infections too.

There are medications which can cause the chronic yeast infections too however. If for instance, you take prescription antibiotics frequently, you run the risk of getting yeast infections more often. Antibiotics kill all the bacteria in your body, good and bad, so while they can clear up problematic bacteria that's causing another health problem, they can also cause side problems such as a yeast infection. Since there are no good bacteria alive n the body to keep the yeast infection bacteria suppressed, the yeast bacteria are often able to thrive.

Other types of medications can supress your immune system too. Prescription medicines used to treat certain skin diseases for instance, are designed to supress the immune system so that your body stops over producing skin cells. This supression unfortunately allows the yeast bacteria to thrive, so you can end up having multiple yeast infections when taking immune system supressing drugs.

Birth control pills are a common cause of chronic yeast infections in women. While they don't supress the body's immune system, they do cause hormonal changes which can have similar effects, thus creating an environment that yeast are able to thrive in.

Foods you choose to eat can also play a role is causing chronic yeast infections. Yeast feed on sugar and simple starches, so a diet high in carbohydrates or sweets can create ongoing problems with recurring, chronic yeast infections.

If you suffer from chronic yeast infections and are not taking prescription medications that could be the root cause, you'll need to look closely at your eating habits. Sometimes the remedy is fairly simple. If you eat a lot of cheese for instance, that could be contributing to chronic yeast infections because cheese has a high mold content. If you eat a lot of sugar and simple starches, you could try changing to a more moderate to low carb diet and see if that helps.

If food and medication does not seem to be the cause of your chronic yeast infections hough, you'll want to visit your doctor and get a complete physical, because it could be an indication of a more severe illness.

Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA, and should not be considered as professional medical advice.